NFL-Arizona Cardinals

MAXMedia Partners developed a long-running, character-driven animated series for the Arizona Cardinals’ in-stadium experience. Built around Big Red defending “The Nest” from weekly visiting-team mascots, the series delivered fast, comedic, story-based content designed specifically for Jumbo-tron playback and game-day crowd activation.

At-a-Glance

Services Provided

Creative Services
Concept Development
3D Animation

Our Role & Scope of Work

Creative concept development, scripting, story structure, storyboarding, and creative direction, in partnership with Symbolic Pictures for 3D animation execution

Deliverables

Weekly animated mascot shorts (1–1.5 minutes each)
Opponent-specific storylines
Seasonal and holiday animated features

Timeline

Five-plus seasons (ongoing, multi-year engagement)

Location

State Farm Stadium — Glendale, AZ

The Challenge

The Arizona Cardinals wanted to elevate their in-stadium entertainment with original content that felt proprietary, repeatable, and deeply connected to the team’s identity.

The content needed to energize fans during live games, adapt weekly to different opponents, and operate under tight NFL production schedules—all while remaining visually clear and effective on a massive jumbotron.

The strategy emphasized:

Short-form storytelling optimized for live sports pacing
A consistent narrative formula that could reset weekly
Humor and conflict broad enough to land instantly with stadium audiences
A production model capable of sustaining rapid turnaround

The Strategy

This project was executed as a strategic partnership between MAXMedia Partners and Symbolic Pictures. MAXMedia Partners led creative development while Symbolic Pictures handled 3D animation production.

MAXMedia Partners was responsible for:

Original concept creation and world-building
Character arcs and opponent-specific story logic
Scriptwriting and storyboarding for each episode
Creative direction and narrative consistency

Symbolic Pictures executed:

Full 3D animation production
Asset development and rendering
Visual execution optimized for stadium playback

Together, the teams established a repeatable storytelling and production workflow that supported an 8-week rolling schedule aligned with the NFL season.

Execution

Each animated short followed a clear structure—setup, conflict, resolution—allowing new opponents to be introduced weekly without reinventing the framework. Stories were customized to reflect the personality, iconography, or cultural perception of each visiting team’s mascot.

Animations were paced for immediate readability, comedic impact, and large-scale visibility, ensuring clarity and engagement even in high-energy stadium environments. Timing was aligned with game moments to maximize crowd reaction.

The Outcome

Protect the Nest became a fan-favorite tradition and a recognizable part of the Cardinals’ game-day experience. Its success extended beyond the regular season, leading to an additional animated holiday project: a custom NFL-themed adaptation of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, narrated by a beloved Cardinals player.

The series continues to play each season, reinforcing fan engagement, strengthening Big Red’s role as a franchise icon, and sustaining a long-term creative partnership between the Arizona Cardinals, MAXMedia Partners, and Symbolic Pictures.